Beef BitesBeefing up your day with a variety of beef related information!2015-03-18T19:12:50Zhttp://beefbites.org/feed/atom/WordPressMissouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=56112015-03-18T19:12:50Z2015-03-18T19:09:52ZToday we celebrate National Ag Day.

Since 1973, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America have been gathering together to recognize the abundance provided by American agriculture. The Agriculture Council of America created Ag Day for four main reasons:

1. To increase awareness of how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced.
2. To value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
3. To appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
4. To acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food, fiber and renewable resource industries.

In the 1960s, the American farmer fed around 25 people, but today they feed more than 144 people. However, it’s not just the farmer who makes our food possible. The entire agriculture industry, all the way to the grocery store, serve as vital links in a chain that brings food to every citizen and millions of people abroad.

Not only is the demand for food and fiber increasing with population growth but the need for efficiency and technology is growing as well. National Ag Day was created to remember how the agriculture industry has grown and developed in the past as we continue to look forward to keeping agriculture strong in the future.

National Ag Day falls during National Ag Week, which is March 15-21, 2015. For more information on National Ag Day, visit http://www.agday.org.

]]>0Missouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=56062015-03-11T19:41:14Z2015-03-11T19:40:38ZAs St. Patrick’s Day approaches, many families are looking for a way to be festive with for the holiday with their meals. There’s no better way to do this for March 17th than with the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage.

Corned beef is a salt cured beef product that once began in Ireland as a luxury food. In the early 1800’s, cows were not used for their meat supply but only for their dairy, so this meal was very rare to have. It was so rare that pork was often substituted.

Sometime in the mid 1800′s when the Irish immigrated to America, they found that Jewish corned beef was very similar in texture to the pork used in their recipes. It was then that corned beef was used as a replacement for the bacon when preparing corned beef and cabbage meals. Soon after that, the Irish-Americans began having corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.

Click here for the link for an original corned beef and cabbage recipe!

For more beef recipes that will satisfy your family for any meal, visit the Missouri Beef Industry Council on Pinterest. Also, for more information the benefits of beef and other recipes follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

As we look over the past decade, a word that has progressively made its way into the agriculture industry is the word “sustainable.” It describes a way of thinking, a way of production and applies to many areas in the industry. However, due to the fact that it is applicable in so many ways, it has also caused some confusion between producers and consumers.

According to Merriam-webster.com, the word is defined as:

Sustainable-adjective sus·tain·able \sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl\
: able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed
: involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources
: able to last or continue for a long time

This one set of descriptions doesn’t even touch what it means to many cattle producers in the state as well as nationwide. It is not only a way to ensure producer’s farms and ranches last longer and are more efficient, but it is also a way to put better products on the market and conserve the environment and natural resources around us.

Cattlemen and women have been incorporating more and more sustainable practices to help the beef industry keep growing and developing for years to come. This effort is not only for cattle producers and their farms, but to make sure the consumer will always have a quality product.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has started a significant research effort with the Beef Checkoff that is looking more into the amount of sustainability that has increased in farms and ranches over the past few years.

The first phase of the Beef Industry Sustainability Assessment has been completed using data from the Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. The results were recently certified by NSF International, lending credible, third-party verification to the study, helping to prove that beef is sustainable. The results of phase one can be found here: http://beefresearch.org/beefsustainabilityresearch.aspx.

In phase two of the assessment, the work is being expanded to include data from individual cattle-producing regions across the country. By looking at regional practices and incorporating that information into the study, the research will be more representative and we will be better able to tell the beef story through sound science.

Cow-calf producers, stockers and feedyard operators are being surveyed to see how the way they produce beef has changed over time. The Beef Industry Sustainability Assessment is not an attempt to force a change in practices or advocate a one-size-fits-all approach to beef production. There are few things less sustainable than a one-size-fits-all approach. So visiting these operations first-hand is allowing the program to do in depth research on what is working for producers and what is not.

MBIC’s own Davin Althoff has been visiting producers in the state and looks forward to reporting the results of how Missouri cattle producers are improving their operations through sustainable practices.

“In response to large food service and food retail companies interested in purchasing verified sustainable beef, NCBA launched a life cycle analysis from coast-to-coast. They are partnering with the USDA to conduct this analysis,” says Althoff. “Missouri is the first state in the Midwest region to schedule visits with various beef producers.”

This week, Althoff met with backgrounders, seedstock producers and cow/calf producers along with attending the Southwest Missouri Forage Conference in Springfield to see how sustainability is changing farms and ranches around the state.

“What we hope this program will do is to provide a baseline study for the industry to utilize in discussions with food service and retailers that is scientifically proven that shows over time that we have continues to improve how our beef is produced,” Althoff says.

Kim Stackhouse, Director of Sustainability Research for the NCBA attended and spoke at the Southwest Missouri Forage Conference. She highlighted that not all definitions of sustainability are similar. However, she felt that the best definition that could apply to many issues would be described as “continuous improvement.”

“If we can improve what we do and prove it is done sustainably, that’s what we hope this study does at the end of the day,” Althoff says.

]]>0Missouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=55982015-02-25T14:54:27Z2015-02-25T14:54:27ZCounty cattlemen’s meetings are in full swing! These cattlemen’s associations give producers the opportunity to join together with other passionate agriculturalists to give them the chance to get involved on the local level. Getting involved locally allows members to have a hand in setting the foundation in these grassroots organizations. However, you don’t have to be a cattle producer to get involved. Many people in the community take pride in their local cattlemen’s association and other businessmen and politicians are even taking initiative in being active members.

The county level serves as a good way for producers and community members to go above and beyond in promoting the beef industry. Whether they produce beef or consume beef, county cattlemen’s members all over the state are answering the call to take the lead in sharing the many benefits that the beef industry brings to the state of Missouri.

“It takes more than just a few people in Columbia, Missouri to talk about our industry,” said Mark Russell, Executive Director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council. “Producers and community members getting involved on the local level is crucial to the strength of the beef industry statewide.”

To discover more about the benefits of beef and other recipes follow the Missouri Beef Industry Council on Facebook and Twitter. For additional recipes to add spice for your dinner tonight, visit our account on Pinterest.v

]]>0Missouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=55922015-02-11T19:47:45Z2015-02-11T19:47:45ZMBIC is excited to welcome it’s newest team member, Shannon Yokley! She will be interning with us for the remainder of the school year and provides us with a wealth of knowledge on not only the producer communications side, but the millennial perspective as well! Welcome, Shannon!

Here is a little biography about Shannon…

I am a passionate, big-hearted aggie who hails from Jefferson City, Mo. I grew up living, breathing and loving every aspect of agriculture as I made my way from 4-H into FFA. Through these organizations, I developed a passion for the livestock industry and began my own herd of registered Angus cattle. Since the age of eight, I have been showing cattle at local, state and national levels.

While in high school, I discovered that I enjoyed writing and communicating when I became active in my high school’s journalism club. So, when it came down to selecting a major at the University of Missouri, my choice was simple. Science and Agricultural Journalism was the only choice– it combines both my passion of agriculture and my love of writing. Anytime I get a chance, I proudly state that I have “the best of both worlds.”

As a senior at MU, I try to stay as involved as I can on campus, as well as in the agriculture industry. I am a College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Peer Career Coach, a member of the 2014 Mizzou Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Team and I recently retired as president of the Alpha – Chi Chapter of Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority. Organizations I am also an active member of on campus include Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, Mizzou Collegiate Cattlewomen, Collegiate Farm Bureau and Griffith’s Leadership Society for Women.

In my spare time I enjoy being outside, working on my photography skills and eating a nice, juicy steak. When I’m not working with my cattle, I am playing with Princess – my German Shorthair bird dog.

]]>0Missouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=55872014-04-14T18:58:31Z2014-04-14T18:58:31ZIt was a busy and successful weekend for us, here at the Missouri Beef Council. We had a great time in St. Louis this weekend attending the Go! St. Louis Marathon and opening day of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Both events were a great opportunity for us to advocate for beef and educate consumers on the importance of beef in their lifestyle. Go Beef!

We started out the weekend on Friday and Saturday working the Go! St. Louis Expo. Here we got to interact and catch up with some of our Team Beef members we also got to share the importance of beef with the thousands of consumers going through the Expo.

Then Sunday was race day! We had a great time interacting with our Team Beef members after they completed their races. We had Team Beef members in the full and half marathons that took place. All Team Beef members did a great job and we are proud of their accomplishments.

Then on Monday we finished up our time in St. Louis at the Cardinals Opening Day Rally! We had our own booth at the rally where we handed out thousands of foam fingers sponsored by The Missouri Beef Industry Council. The foam fingers were a hit and gave us the chance to promote beef to thousands of consumers. Over 25,000 people were expected in attendance at the Opening Day Rally.

Here at the Beef Council we are so excited about the opportunities this past weekend in St. Louis had to offer! We got the chance to advocate and promote all things beef on a big scale to thousands of consumers! What more could you ask for! Go Beef!

]]>0Missouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=55812014-03-17T18:59:16Z2014-03-17T18:59:16ZExciting news, marathon season is almost here! The Beef Council is looking forward to cheering on and supporting our Team Beef members during this busy and exciting time. We know all of the members have worked very hard training for their races! We are so proud of them and know they are great advocates for beef in a healthy lifestyle! Great job Team Beef. Keep it up!

Best of luck to all our runners in these upcoming races!

Go St.Louis Marathon- St.Louis 04/05/14

Go Girl Marathon- Columbia 05/24/14

Hospital Hill Run- Kansas City 06/06/14

Rock n’ Roll Marathon- St. Louis 10/19/14

Bass Pro Marathon- Springfield 10/31/14

Also there is something new for Missouri Team Beef members and fans! A new website just for Team Beef! Check it out at www.moteambeef.com and let us know your feedback. We hope this website acts as a great resource for members and prospective members. On the site you can access numerous items. There will be a member spotlight updated often, as well as a calendar, ways to contact MBIC. The website will also include appropriate documents such as reimbursement forms, waivers etc. In additions there will be nutritional resources and news updates for Team Beef. And for prospective Team Beef members there will be a frequently asked questions section, and access to the application form. So what are you waiting for? Go check it out at www.moteambeef.com!

When you’re planning your next meal remember beef’s big 10! Beef is not just tasty it is essential to your health. From b-vitamins that help give you the energy to tackle busy days and of course the protein in beef that helps preserve and build muscle. Beef is a must for good health and nutrition. If you want more information on how beef can benefit you visit our website by clicking here!

Beef’s Big 10

]]>0Missouri Beef Industry Councilhttp://beefbites.org/?p=55732014-01-27T22:10:30Z2014-01-27T22:07:57ZThe town of Springfield Missouri has a new hometown hero. Emily Scott, a daughter, granddaughter, sister and a friend of many now has another title; she is an Olympic short track speed skater. Scott is on her way to Sochi where she will be competing in the 2014 Olympic Games.

Emily began skating when she was just three years old. When her older sister began skating, Emily decided she wanted to follow in her footsteps. So Emily and her sister both joined the speed team at a local ice rink.

“Skating eventually became my life and I found myself winning regional and national championships at a young age.” Says Emily

Emily stuck with skating throughout all of her schooling, she never did any other sports. She put all of her hard work and dedication into speed skating, with dreams of going to the Olympics.

Eventually Emily had to make the switch from inline speed skating to short track speed skating because inline speed skating was not an Olympic sport.

“I wanted to give up many times but I knew I would have regrets so I stuck it out” explained Emily.

Emily Scott met her goal and is now an Olympian.

“I learned at a very young age that in order to get where you want to be in life, you have to work very hard.” Says Emily

Emily trains 6 days a week. Most of her days are 8 hours days. Her workouts range from skating to off the ice workouts such as technical work and lifting weights.

Emily grew up in an environment that she believes taught her importance of hard work. Every weekend growing up Emily would wake up and head out to help her father and grandfather on their family cattle farm.

Emily took away some great memories from growing up on the farm:

“I would help my father bring the cattle in to feed them and he would let me sit on his lap and let me drive the tractor around.”

Emily was recently chosen as this year’s first ever Beef Ambassador for the Missouri Beef Industry Council!

She was chosen for this role because of the importance of beef in her everyday life. Beef is Emily’s main source of protein.

“Beef is very important for my diet because it is the best source of iron.”

Iron is important in everyone’s diet because iron boots your energy and it is needed to produce red blood cells which carry oxygen to your lungs and other areas.

Though Emily explains why it is especially important for female athletes like her;

“Iron is very important to female athletes especially because of our intense training regimen, we are at risk for anemia and red meat is vital for helping protect females against that.”

Emily also eats beef because it is a complete protein in which helps athletes build muscle and recover.

As the new 2014 Olympic Beef Ambassador of Missouri, Emily will be the voice of beef where she will promote the importance of beef to all consumers and show them first-hand how essential it is to our health.

Beth Outz who is the Director of Communications for the Missouri Beef Industry council expressed her thoughts on Emily Scott and their plans for her as the new Ambassador.

“We are super excited to have Emily as our Official Olympic Beef Ambassador of Missouri! She is a great advocate for promoting beef as a staple protein to her everyday diet and training regimen as it is a necessity for her to maintain a healthy active lifestyle. It’s not every day that you get to talk and learn from an Olympic Athlete about the benefits they see from beef. We’re excited to use her voice as a leader in promoting beef to educate the people of Missouri and help them learn how to better “beef up their lifestyle”

After the Olympic Games conclude, Emily Scott and the rest of Missouri Beef Industry Council Team will be at various events throughout the state where you will be able to visit with them and hear Emily speak and advocate for beef.

You can find out more about these events at MBIC website, www.mobeef.org

If you want to watch Emily Scott in the Olympic Games, she will be competing in Sochi starting on February 10th. You can find the competition schedule on NBC Sports, http://www.nbcsports.com

]]>0Alane Lidolphhttp://www.mobeef.orghttp://beefbites.org/?p=55482013-07-17T02:17:27Z2013-07-17T02:17:27ZToday, before I knew it, it was 5:30 and I hadn’t started fixing supper yet. I knew time was ticking away until the severe and apparently life-threatening hunger set in for my boys and they started asking for a snack every 30 seconds. I had a package of hamburger in the fridge that I needed to use and had intended to make hamburgers with it. There was just one problem…my meat thermometer broke the other day, and I sure can’t tell if a hamburger is a safe and savory 160 degrees without it!

As I stared blankly into the pantry wondering what to fix, I remembered a recipe I had pinned on Pinterest the other day…Cheeseburger Wraps. A cheeseburger without the need for a thermometer. Perfect! And it would only take 15 or 20 minutes to make. Even better, because my three year old informed me he was too tired and hungry to move his little body from the exact area where I needed to cook (luckily, he moved AND survived until supper).

The result? Four thumbs up from this family! I grilled our wraps on the Foreman Grill, and I think that was a key to the yum-factor. I also put a little cheese under and on top of the hamburger for a little “glue” to keep the meat from falling out of the wrap, which worked pretty well.

This recipe is a keeper…super fast, ingredients I usually have on hand, and kid-approved! I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did!

Speaking of Pinterest, you can find this and so many other great recipes by following us on Pinterest by searching for “Beef Bites,” or going to www.pinterest.com/beefcouncil.

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown hamburger until no longer pink. Add ketchup, mustard, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes, until all combined.

Line the middle of a tortilla with a small amount of cheddar cheese.

Add some cooked hamburger beef and then top with your favorite hamburger toppings. Roll the tortilla up and tuck in the ends (like a burrito).

You can either eat as is or throw on a grill (or even an indoor grill- like a George Foreman grill) for 3-5 minutes (just until you see grill marks).

Recipe and photo from www.SixSistersStuff.com

]]>0Alane Lidolphhttp://www.mobeef.orghttp://beefbites.org/?p=55432013-07-01T19:12:06Z2013-07-01T19:12:06ZDo you ever go through your old recipes and come across a tried and true favorite…that you’ve forgotten about? That just happened to me, so I just have to share the recipe! I used to make this quite a bit, but somehow forgot about it over the years. I’m sure it has something to do with having two kids and forgetting about pretty much everything in their early years…eventually my memory will come back, right?

Without further ado, here’s the recipe. I’m so excited to make this again! Here’s to hoping my kids don’t pick out the spinach.

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile brown ground beef with garlic in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking beef up into ¾-inch crumbles. Pour off drippings; season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Combine cottage cheese and egg in large bowl. Stir in evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, and 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon red pepper. Add beef, spinach, and pasta; mix well. Spray shallow 2-1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon red pepper. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in 375 degree oven for 50 minutes
4. Meanwhile, place bread in food processor container. Cover; pulse on and off to form crumbs. Set aside.
5. Sprinkle bread crumbs over pasta. Continue baking, uncovered, 5-10 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown. Garnish with tomato, if desired.

Cook’s Tip: For best results, do not use low-fat or fat-free evaporated milk.Cook’s Tip: One 10-ounce package frozen spinach may be substituted for fresh spinach. Defrost and drain liquid from spinach before using.